View Information Collection Request (ICR) Package

OMB Control No: 1902-0298	ICR Reference No: 201707-1902-001
Status: Historical Active	Previous ICR Reference No:
Agency/Subagency: FERC	Agency Tracking No: FERC-725A(1C)
Title: FERC-725A(1C), Mandatory Reliability Standards for Bulk-Power System: Reliability Standard TOP-001-4 [Order in Docket RD17-4]
Type of Information Collection: New collection (Request for a new OMB Control Number)	Common Form ICR: No
Type of Review Request: Regular
OIRA Conclusion Action: Approved without change	Conclusion Date: 10/04/2017
	Date Received in OIRA: 07/17/2017
Terms of Clearance: In accordance with 5 CFR 1320, the information collection is approved for three years.

	Inventory as of this Action	Requested	Previously Approved
Expiration Date	10/31/2020	36 Months From Approved
Responses	422	0	0
Time Burden (Hours)	3,376	0	0
Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	0

Abstract: North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) filed a petition for approval of proposed Reliability Standards IRO-002-5 (Reliability Coordination - Monitoring and Analysis) and TOP-001-4 (Transmission Operations). NERC states that the proposed Reliability Standards address the Commission’s directives in Order No. 817 related to: (1) transmission operator monitoring of non-bulk electric system (BES) facilities; (2) redundancy and diverse routing of transmission operator, balancing authority, and reliability coordinator data exchange capabilities; and (3) testing of alternative or less frequently used data exchange capabilities. NERC states that the proposed “Reliability Standards TOP-001-4 and IRO-002-5 build upon the improvements made in the prior versions of those standards to further advance reliability.” Proposed Reliability Standard TOP-001-4, Requirement R10 has been revised to require the transmission operator to monitor non-BES facilities for determining system operating limit exceedances within its transmission operator area, as directed by the Commission in Order No. 817. NERC states that this revision helps to ensure that all facilities that can adversely impact reliability are monitored. NERC also revised proposed Reliability Standard TOP-001-4 to require that the operator’s and balancing authority’s data exchange capabilities for the exchange of real-time data needed for real-time monitoring and analysis have redundant and diversely routed data exchange infrastructure within the entity’s primary control center and that these capabilities be tested for redundant functionality on a regular basis. Similar revisions are reflected in Reliability Standard IRO-002-5 to clarify the obligations of the reliability coordinator. NERC states that these modifications help support reliable operations by preventing a single point of failure in primary control center data exchange infrastructure from halting the flow of real-time data used by operators to monitor and control the BES. NERC requests that the Commission approve proposed Reliability Standards TOP-001-4 and IRO-002-5 as consistent with its directives in Order No. 817 and find that the proposed Reliability Standards are just, reasonable, not unduly discriminatory or preferential, and in the public interest. In a delegated order on 4/17/2017, FERC approved the standards. As of 7/5/2017, another unrelated item under FERC-725A is pending review at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Only one item per OMB Control No. may be pending OMB review at a time. In order to submit this consolidated supporting statement (for Docket No. RD17-4) timely to OMB, a ‘placeholder’ information collection number (FERC-725A(1C), Mandatory Reliability Standards for Bulk-Power System: Reliability Standard TOP-001-4) will be used (rather than FERC-725A). The temporary information collection number FERC-725A(1C) is new, so we are requesting a full three years.

Authorizing Statute(s): US Code: 16 USC 824o Name of Law: Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct)

Citations for New Statutory Requirements: None

Associated Rulemaking Information
RIN:	Stage of Rulemaking:	Federal Register Citation:	Date:
	Not associated with rulemaking

Federal Register Notices & Comments
60-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	82 FR 20473	05/02/2017
30-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	82 FR 32695	07/17/2017
Did the Agency receive public comments on this ICR? No

Number of Information Collection (IC) in this ICR: 1

IC Title	Form No.	Form Name
FERC-725A(1C) in Docket RD17-4

ICR Summary of Burden

	Total Approved	Change Due to Agency Discretion
Annual Number of Responses	422	422
Annual Time Burden (Hours)	3,376	3,376
Annual Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0

Burden increases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: Yes

Burden Increase Due to: Miscellaneous Actions

Burden decreases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: No

Burden Reduction Due to:

Short Statement: NERC states that these modifications help support reliable operations by preventing a single point of failure in primary control center data exchange infrastructure from halting the flow of real-time data used by operators to monitor and control the BES. NERC requests that the Commission approve proposed Reliability Standards TOP-001-4 and IRO-002-5 as consistent with its directives in Order No. 817 and find that the proposed Reliability Standards are just, reasonable, not unduly discriminatory or preferential, and in the public interest.

Annual Cost to Federal Government: $5,723

Does this IC contain surveys, censuses, or employ statistical methods? No

Does this ICR request any personally identifiable information (see OMB Circular No. A-130 for an explanation of this term)? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination. No

Does this ICR include a form that requires a Privacy Act Statement (see 5 U.S.C. §552a(e)(3))? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination. No

Is this ICR related to the Affordable Care Act [Pub. L. 111-148 & 111-152]? No

Is this ICR related to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, [Pub. L. 111-203]? No

Is this ICR related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)? No

Is this ICR related to the Pandemic Response? Uncollected

Agency Contact: David O'Conner 202 502-6695

View ICR - OIRA Conclusion